Al Qaeda says "carried out" Baghdad attacks

Baghdad - Independent Maghreb Press Agency - Al Qaeda's affiliate in Iraq has claimed responsibility for scores of attacks across the country targeting mostly Shi'ite Muslim targets this week which killed and wounded hundreds of people. The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) said in a statement posted on radical Islamist websites on Tuesday that it was behind the recent attacks, which it called ``Destroying the Walls'' campaign and said it was the start of a ``new stage of jihad''. At least 116 people were killed and about 300 wounded in bomb and gun attacks on Monday, by far the bloodiest day of violence since U.S. troops withdrew in December. A day earlier, 20 were killed in bombings as part of a co-ordinated surge of violence.